Zechariah’s Song
#cTunes
YES – the king is among us…
I love that song and I love the truth that it proclaims.
A truth that is at the center of Christmas Season.
NOW – for the month of December we are in this series of conversations that we are calling, ‘cTunes,’
Because as we saw last week songs have been a part of Christmas from the very beginning.
YEAH – songs and Christmas just seem to go hand in hand…
I MEAN – can you think of another holiday that has so many songs and so much music that dominates the air waves for such a long period of time?
NOW – this morning we are going to look at another song, by guy who did not write his first song until very late in life…
BUT BEFORE – we go there, I thought we would listen to a medley of popular Christmas songs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRM7FJ0HD9c
AGAIN – songs and Christmas just seemed to go together… and I have no doubt that there will be more on the way…
BUT – to be honest I am starting to become partial to these original Christmas tunes…
LIKE – Mary’s song of praise from last week…
A – cTune that magnifies the Lord proclaiming the good news of…
• God’s Care – B/S God takes takes notice of, pays attention to who you… God is mindful of you.
• God’s Might - Nothing is impossible for Him
• God’s Mercy - He delights in showing us mercy
• God’s Way - He champions the cause of the weak and humble.
• God’s Promises - when it comes to His promises, he keeps them.
NOW TODAY – as we look at yet another original Christmas tune… (this one also is found in Luke 1)
WE WILL - approach our conversation the same way we did last week…
FIRST – a little back story on the writer and then we will unpack the song.
Prayer
The Writer
NOW BEFORE – we begin unpacking Luke 1:5-25 we need to look at some words from the prophet Malachi… (because Zechariah’s back story actually begins over 400 years before he was born)
YEAH – I know a lot of you woke up this morning and were wanting to hear a word from Malachi… well hear it is I didn’t want to disappoint you.
UNDERSTAND – our God is a sovereign God. He rules over all times, nations, languages, cultures, races, classes, and genders of people. He is working out everything according to his plan.
What He says will happen has and will always happen. And throughout Scripture we see God predicting and declaring the future in advance through His prophets.
AND - one of those occasions is in the last book of the Old Testament, the Book of Malachi chapters three and four.
AND LISTEN - this word from God in Malachi will be ‘the final word’ that God will speak to His people until we pick up the story in Luke chapter one (400 years later).
SO… - in Malachi 3:1, we see the beginning of Zechariah’s backstory as the sovereign God of the universe says,
Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me.
AGAIN - God is speaking, saying, “I am coming, but before I come into human history a messenger, a preacher, a prophet will come. And he will proclaim and announce my coming.
Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
– Malachi 3:1,2
NOW THIS - is an Old Testament prophecy about Zech’s son John the Baptist who was coming as the messenger to prepare the way for the coming of Christ, the Messiah.
AND ONCE – John has prepared the way (which he did)…
THEN - Jesus would appear at the Temple.
AND MALACHI – ends his book by saying the following about John the Baptist…
“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the LORD arrives. 6 His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers…. – Malachi 4:5,6
IN OTHER WORDS – this prophet (John the Baptist) will bring about a great revival among God’s people…
AND THEN - there are 400 years of silence.
No book of the Bible is written, no prophet speaks.
MANY - begin to wonder if God’s provision has left the nation forever. AND - one generation to the next becomes a little more stiff necked, hard hearted, and cold. People aren’t walking with God as they should.
YES – there is a remnant, a few who are seriously devoted to the Lord. But, it’s still 400 silent years.
AND THEN - everything begins to change in Luke 1:5.
In the time of Herod king of Judea,
NOW this would be the guy history knows as Herod the Great
• He was a puppet king for the Roman Empire and he was a (crafty and cruel) politician.
• AND - he is not a godly man. He didn’t love God or God’s people.
• He is the same guy Matthew says ordered the slaughter of all male babies in Bethlehem in an effort to kill Jesus.
UNDERSTAND - this is the setting (the times of Herod) for the greatest event in human history. The coming of Christ!
“Herod’s world was cruel, materialistic, hateful, exploitive, cynical and filled with despair. The Jewish people suffered much at the hands of their rulers. When Herod and Rome were not oppressing them, their own religious leaders were. The religious life of the Jews (an integral part of their social and political life) had lost it’s vitality and helpfulness. The Pharisees had made their traditions a burden almost impossible to bear; and the Sadducees were using religion to amass personal fortune.”
- Paul Butler
NO – it sure didn’t look like a time when anything great or significant would happen.
IN FACT - most people had given up hope. AND - when it came to faith and following God’s commands they felt…
‘Why bother,’… I mean, what difference does doing the right thing make anyway…’
HOWEVER – there was still a faithful remnant and we are about to meet two of them…
There was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron.
Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.
One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. 9 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.
SO… what do these verses tell us about our writer?
Quite a lot, actually.
AND LISTEN – like with Mary, they are the very reasons why God to chose to give Him a part in the Christmas Story…
HEY – does anyone remember, the qualities about Mary that rose to the top moving God to chose and unleash His favor on her?
• Her humble spirit and her faith without borders
OKAY – so what do we know about Zechariah…
#1
Elderly Priest
He’s a priest/pastor… And Elizabeth is not only a pastor’s wife but she was from a pastor’s family
AND - they R both ‘very old’ (well advanced in years) probably in their 80’s
WHICH MEANS – they are beyond childbearing years, unable to have children.
Emotionally this is devastating. Financially this is dangerous.
YOU SEE - unlike our day, there were no hospices, there were no care centers, there was no social security, so, if you got old, your children in general and your sons in particular, they looked after you.
B/L – having no sons = great danger.
YEAH – Zechariah was an old guy…
AND – in him we see one of my favorite truths of Scripture.
It’s never too late to be used by God
• No matter how old
• No matter the road your traveled
• Or how many opportunities you screwed up
Zech was also
Righteous Guy
Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations….
In whose eyes?
Careful to do what?
Okay, enough said…
Faithful Servant
UNDERSTAND - even though things did not go the way they had wanted them to go. Even though God had not answered their prayers… they did not turn their backs on God.
“God, we know that you are the one who opens and closes the womb. We believe the Bible. If you give us a baby that would be awesome, we’d love to be parents. BUT - if not, we’re still going to love you and serve you.”
And they did. They’re still in ministry. They’re still worshiping. They’re still praying. They’re still serving.
One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. 9 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.
While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.
NOW - during this time there were approximately 21,000 priests who were subdivided into 24 divisions, of about 900 men each. And they’d each get to go to Jerusalem for one week, two times a year to minister at the temple, two weeks a year.
And they would all come together and they would roll dice to see who got to do the big job. NOW - the big job was, go in, throw some incense on the coals, and say a prayer. That was it. AND - once you got to do it, you were done for life. AND - they declared you holy and blessed. You never got to do it again.
UNDERSTAND - the whole goal was, to be one of those priests. And that’s how it would work. And every year, Zechariah, for I don’t know how many years, maybe 30, 40, 50 years, he goes all the way to Jerusalem, they roll the dice: loser, loser, loser, loser, he never gets picked.
I MEAN - he’s like the guy in gym class, he never gets picked.
AND NOW - he’s getting pretty old and he is starting to wonder… “Will I ever get picked?”
BECAUSE - some guys never do get picked.
AND THEN ONE DAY - they roll the dice: “Zechariah, it’s your turn.” SO – he goes into the Holy Place to throw incense on the coals… And the people would be outside, down on their knees with their hands lifted, praying…
NOW - what incense is symbolizing in Scripture is prayer.
YOU SEE - Revelation talks about a big golden bowl that’s in the presence of God. And that big bowl, Revelations says, is filled with the prayers of God’s people.
What an awesome picture of prayer.
SO - here’s Zechariah’s big moment. He comes in, one shot deal, drops his incense, closes his eyes, prays… Opens his eyes.
AND -here’s what happens.
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.
YEAH – no kidding…
But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer.
YEAH, that’s right - they’re still asking God for a baby. I
s it okay to keep asking? Yes. It’s no problem at all.
They keep asking.
Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth…
(John – ‘The Lord is Gracious)
WOW – isn’t that awesome!
I MEAN - don’t you just love watching God show up and do His thing in the lives of people? Especially in the lives of people who had waited so long and who had been so faithful, even though…
for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord.
John will be what?
In whose eyes?
Oh, this is good.
I MEAN - Herod thinks he is something special…
Herod “the Great.”
BUT - the angel says, “No, not really. John will be great.
SURE - Herod will make more money, build more buildings, subjugate more people, have more followers.
BUT - he won’t give his life to humbly serving God.
Zechariah’s son will. And he’ll be the truly great one.”
B/S
UNDERSTAND – we must continually fight the temptation to let greatness be defined by the standards of the world and by people like Herod.
BOTTOM LINE - If you love God and serve God. If you walk with him faithfully, being and doing whatever he’s ask you to do and be… YOU ARE - great in the sight of God.
And the truth is, ‘His eyes’ are the only ones that ultimately matter and that determine greatness!
Yeah - I love it…
Zechariah is no one from nowhere doing, in the eyes of the world, nothing. And God says, I heard your prayers. Here comes your son. He will be grace to you, amazing. And he will be great in my eyes.
MAPLE GROVE - may that be said of us all and of our children and of our children’s children. That we are great not in the world eyes or each other eyes, but in the eyes of God.
He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
Okay
Where have we heard that before?
Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”
I’m too old. We’re too old. It’s too late. (different response than Mary)
Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news!
I love it… Gabriel is like come on are you serious bro.
But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
So if you’re taking notes today…
Note to self: When an angelic supernatural being appears to you and tells you something is going to happen, don’t ask, “How?” Just say, “Yes,” all right?
God didn’t like it when Zechariah doubted His message, and God doesn’t like it when we doubt His message either. God always keeps His word. He always delivers on His promise. Regardless of how outlandish or extreme the promise may seem on the surface, trust Him. I mean, when God speaks mountain ranges jump into place. When He speaks the universe comes into existence. So we can trust His plan.
Now Zechariah stayed in the temple for so long that everyone outside became worried about what was going on and if he was okay.
Finally when Zechariah emerged to the concerned crowd, this voiceless priest spends the next few minutes attempting to dramatically convey what happened in the temple.
AND YES - this was the very first game of charades.
So he begins to try to dramatically say what…
“What are you saying?
What are you saying?
Somebody’s pregnant?
Somebody’s gonna have a baby?
Elizabeth is gonna have a baby!
Well, that can’t be!”
“I know. I know.”
And he’s trying to convey to them what has happened with this angel.
When his time of service was completed,
he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has looked upon me with his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
AND - what does Elizabeth do? Nothing for five months, I think she’s just worshiping God, rubbing her belly, making baby blankets, setting up the nursery and rejoicing that she has a mute husband.
OKAY… Let’s fast forward 9 months to Luke 1:57
When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy….
YEAH – I am sure that this faithful elderly couple having a child, and the crazy circumstances surrounding it created quite the stir in the town.
On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,
OKAY – who is the ‘they’ that is wanting to name the child Zechariah?
WELL - basically, everyone except his mom and dad…
AND YES - as strange as it sounds to us, there was always a huge party and celebration surrounding the circumcision of a child.
Why – because circumcision was a big deal to Israel, it identified them as one of God’s people.
But his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”
They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.
(Charades round two)
SO - they bring him this wooden tray that is covered with wax, and he takes a tool out and he writes down this phrase…
His name is John.
DO – you remember what the name John means?
The Lord is gracious
YEAH - what a perfect name for Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s son.
Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.
All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:
AFTER - 9 months his silence is broken.
BUT MORE THAN THAT - after 400+ years God’s silence, God once again speaks to His people.
UNDERSTAND…
Zechariah stands in a unique place… being the last of the Old Testament prophets and the first of the new.
The Song
(let’s stand… we will take turns reading the slides.)
68 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has sent us a mighty Savior
from the royal line of his servant David,
70 just as he promised
through his holy prophets long ago.
71 Now we will be saved from our enemies
and from all who hate us.
72 He has been merciful to our ancestors
by remembering his sacred covenant—
73 the covenant he swore with an oath
to our ancestor Abraham.
74 We have been rescued from our enemies
so we can serve God without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness
for as long as we live.
76 “And you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
77 You will tell his people how to find salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
With the loving mercy of our God,
a new day from heaven will dawn upon us.
79 It will shine on those who live in darkness,
in the shadow of death.
It will guide us into the path of peace.”
And so the child grew up and became strong in spirit. John lived in the desert until the time when he came out to preach to Israel.
MGCC…
2000 years ago (after 400 years of silence)
The Holy Spirit filled Zechariah, telling us what Christmas is all about…
Christmas Is About…
God’s Story, Not Our Story
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. – Luke 1:68
UNDERSTAND – it would have been so easy for Zechariah to try to make this story all about him and his new born son.
AND – who could blame him, right?
I MEAN – this is a day that he waited for, hoped for and pray about, for decades… to hold his own son in his arms.
BUT NOTICE – in the 12 verses that comprise ‘his song,’ only 2 of them talk about His Son… (76,77).
AND LISTEN – in those 2 verses his son is not even the main character… BUT INSTEAD – The Lord, The Most high, is in the cneter ring.
AND LIKE – I have said before at The Grove, the main character is critical to any story… IN FACT - the main character can make or break a story…
And my favorite example of this…
IS - Macaulay Culkin – great main character in Home alone…
BUT – not so good as the main character in Gladiator…
AND – Russell Crowe would have not done that well as the lead in Home Alone….
OKAY – here’s what I’m trying to say. We can be an excellent supporting element in God’s story… BUT – we make a lousy main character.
YEAH – I just gotta tell you I make a terrible main character… terrible. IN FACT – when my life is centered on and all about me, it doesn’t work so good. It’s not about me! And it’s not about you either. Christmas is about…
It’s - God’s story, not our story…
AND LISTEN – when Zechariah’s son grew, he sooo got this.
It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. 30 He must become greater, and I must become less. – John 3:29-31
He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. – 2 Corinthians 5:15
MG – 2000 years ago in one of the original Christmas tunes, Zechariah sings a song that tells of what Christmas is all about…
#1 – it ‘s about God’s story, not our story
Next Christmas is about
God’s Timing, Not Our Timing
He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.
Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us.
AND LISTEN – this timing thing jumped out at me this week when I heard Zechariah use these three words…
long ago and now
(Now, those words are about time)
YOU SEE - Israel has been waiting for the Messiah for . a couple of thousand years. (Like a small child on Christmas morning)… They were constantly asking, hoping, wondering…
Is it time yet? Is it time yet?
AND LISTEN - I am sure that many times in their history they must have thought… ‘hey, this looks like the perfect time to send the Messiah…’
LIKE WHEN…
• They were slaves in Egypt
• OR - exiles in Assyria or in Babylon.
BUT - God waited.
BECAUSE - - His timing was not their timing…
AND LISTEN – God knew that the perfect time to send the Messiah was first century Palestine.
But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. – Galatians 4:4
• Universal language
• Roman roads
• The Pax Romana (Roman peace, 27 BC – 180 AD)
• A growing disillusionment that - philosophy, power, government and religion had failed to provide real or lasting answers to life.
God’s timing – not ours…
YOU KNOW - at times I too struggle with God’s timing, and like an impatient child waiting for Christmas I want ‘what’ I want ‘when’ I want it… and that would be now.
Why do I have to wait?
Why do I have to keep on struggling?
NO – God’s timing is not our timing…
BUT - it’s always perfect.
He’s never late. He’s never early.
He’s always right on time.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot… He has made everything beautiful in its time. - Ecclesiastes 3:1,2,11
MG…
Don’t let God’s timing cause you to doubt His promises.
His promise is true
Our God will come through, always
Just ask Zech…
next
Christmas is about…
God’s Gift, Not Our Effort
NOTICE - in his song that Zechariah says…
God redeems
God rescues
God saves
God forgives
God pours out His mercy
B/S
IT’s - His gift not our effort…. AND – what great news that is!
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. – Ephesians 2:8.9
MGCC
XMAS – is not about what we do or don’t do, it’s about what Christ has already done!
IT’S – about…
• His gift not our effort
• His story not our story
• His timing, not our timing
God’s Purposes, Not Our Agenda
NOW – I really love this part of Zechariah’s song…
I PICTURE - Zech who has been holding his son the entire time, looking down…
76 “And you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
77 You will tell his people how to find salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. – Mark 1:4
YES – your life little son is to about God’s purposes, you are to…
• Speak of Him
• Point to Him
• Prepare the way for Him
• And tell people how to find salvation in Him
(our lives too)
AND – I gootas tell you, I really love how this cTune ends…
Christmas is about…
God’s New Day, Not Darkness’s Old Day
With the loving mercy of our God,
a new day from heaven will dawn upon us.
79 It will shine on those who live in darkness,
in the shadow of death.
It will guide us into the path of peace.”
MG
Xmas is about God’s new day.
UNDERSTAND – God’s light has come and the darkness
Cannot – has not – and will not overcome it, EVER!
